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Destroyed Beauty

Out of all the Xbox 360 games we saw at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (or E3, as it's commonly called), there were very few that unequivocally impressed everyone who got a glimpse. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion blew away the guys on our PC team, while the so-lifelike-you-can-practically-taste-their-sweat players in NBA Live 06 pumped up the sports fans in attendance. However, it was a game from Epic that was just about everyone's unanimous choice for the best Xbox 360 game of the show. Although Gears of War was only shown (at least in playable form) behind closed doors, word spread quickly throughout the crowd: this was going to be the first "must-have" game for the system.

Little did we know that most of the game journalists in attendance had actually seen the game before E3. Elements of the title were shown in the early tech demos of the Unreal 3 engine, dating back as early as 2004's Game Developer's Conference. We all oohed and ahhed as the camera panned over the bombed-out remains of a beautifully rendered church, and the wide variety of evil-looking beasts were downright scary.

What we saw at E3, however, was far from a simple tech demo. The gameplay was all there, and the graphics looked stunning despite the fact that the development kits were running at roughly 30% of their final power. One of the best treats came after the demo was over, as the journalists in attendance were given hardcover books detailing the ins and outs of the game. Using concept sketches and images taken directly from the game, Cliffy B and his co-authors set up the game's backstory and introduced us to the vehicles, the heroes, and the villains that populated the world of Sera.

Now, we have a chance to share all of this with you, as we take an in-depth look at "Destroyed Beauty: An Inside Look at Gears of War." The images you'll see have been scanned directly from the book, with the only changes being made to the spine fold. If the book is any indication of what we'll be seeing from the finished product, waiting until "Emergence Day 2006" (whenever that is) will certainly be tough.

Clicking on the images below will bring you to a full-sized version. To maintain continuity, they should be viewed from top to bottom, moving from left to right. Enjoy!